Writing the
UCAS Personal Statement
Purposes of the UCAS personal statement
The purpose of the personal statement is to help
universities find out more about you and your
suitability for the courses you are applying for.
It is an opportunity for you to present your goals,
experiences, skills, qualities and qualifications
in the best possible light, as well as to
demonstrate your writing ability.
Your personal statement provides scope for you
to distinguish yourself from other applicants.
Useful elements within the personal
statement
 Aspirations
 Skills and qualities
 Relevant experience
 Hobbies and extra-curricular
interests.
Aspirations
 Locate your course choice within
your long-term career plans
 Explain how your course will help
fulfil long-term goals
 Where course is broad-based, it
may be possible to explain how
your course choice keeps
undecided-upon career options
open
Examples of skills and qualities
 Communication skills (written and oral)
 Listening skills
 Able to work as part of a team
 Time management skills
 ICT skills
 Study skills
 Interpersonal skills
 Enthusiastic, determined
 Able to show initiative
 Confident
Experience and Work Experience
 Mention any paid work experience
 Mention any voluntary work experience
(school based or not)
 Mention wider school experience
(buddying, yearbook activities etc.)
 Positions of responsibility in or out of
school
 Explain how you have benefited from
these (e.g. developed skills, informed
career aspirations, etc)
Writing the personal statement: broad
strategy
 Is your chosen course vocational or academic
subject based?
 The personal statement is especially
important when you have chosen a vocational
course
 If your course choice is vocational, show you
have researched the course and the job,
relate your experience and personal skills and
qualities to the job, show how you are capable
of meeting the job’s challenges.
Writing the personal statement
 Arrange the sections of your Personal Statement in
order, possibly in paragraphs as follows:
 Present situation, why this course? Your career
aspirations and what relevant skills and qualities
you have
 School subjects, your interest in them and their
benefit to you
 School based activities, clubs, citizenship,
positions of responsibility etc
 Your life outside school; Interests, awards,
hobbies part time work
 Closing paragraph to convince selector that they
should select you.
 Strike a sensible balance among these elements
Multiple course applications
 If possible try to find a common thread
among your courses and use that as a
theme
 If you have more than one area of
interest, be honest about that
 It may be possible to explain how you will
choose between your options if they are
varied
Hints and tips
 Plan and structure your personal
statement
 Write clearly and directly
 Show enthusiasm
 Be positive rather than negative
 Check speelling and grammar (how
annoying is that?)
 ‘Blow your own trumpet’, but be honest
 Don’t state the obvious or repeat yourself
repeat yourself
 Avoid bland statements (I enjoy reading
and going to the cinema) whoopdidoo
 Do not copy another personal statement
 Have a sensible e-mail address